Edmonton childcare: Fees, Screening and Scheduling

Shortlist care around your daily route

Write down your child’s age, start date, attendance days, earliest drop-off and latest pickup. Include travel time between care, work and school. For school-age care, name the school and ask who handles transfers, missed buses, early dismissals and days without classes.

Use Alberta’s Childcare Search map to compare locations near home, work or school. Search by city or postal code, age group and program type. Results identify licensed programs and family day home agencies, extended or overnight services and non-compliance history. Ask each provider about an opening for your child’s age and schedule. [1]

Tour the actual care setting before committing. Discuss settling in, naps, toileting, allergies, medication and pickup authorization with the person who will care for your child. Ask how they accommodate your child’s communication or support needs and handle educator absences. Request closure dates and backup arrangements in writing.

Confirm eligibility and the complete monthly fee

Alberta’s flat parent fees apply to eligible children in funded daycare and approved family day home spaces. The age scope covers children up to kindergarten age, including kindergarten children attending childcare during regular school hours. Parents pay $326.25 per child monthly for 100 or more registered hours, or $230 for 50 to 99 hours. These provincial policy amounts apply to qualifying Edmonton arrangements. [2]

Ask the provider to confirm your child’s eligibility, the space’s funding and registered monthly hours in writing. A licence alone does not establish affordability funding. For fewer than 50 hours per month, Alberta provides no affordability funding and the program sets the parent fee. Funded preschools follow a different arrangement: they set their monthly parent fee and receive up to $100 per enrolled child monthly to reduce it. [2]

Funded daycares and family day homes may charge for eligible optional services, including meals, transportation, diapers, field trips and extended hours. Parents must have the choice to opt in to each service; programs cannot give preferential access based on ability to pay. Request an itemized quote and ask how to supply or arrange anything you decline. [2]

Read deposit, withdrawal, late-pickup and closure terms before signing. Ask which charges recur, which depend on use and when the provider can change them. Keep the quote with the agreement and compare both with your first invoice. Obtain individual quotes for sitters or nannies rather than using the funded-program amounts as their rates.

Check oversight and ask about screening records

For licensed care, review the program or agency record. Alberta’s Find childcare page also identifies educator certification, administrative penalty, public notice and public health inspection resources. Use the records to prepare specific questions about supervision, staffing and any listed concerns. [1]

For an unlicensed day home, search the operator’s name in Alberta’s stop-order lookup. Provincial guidance permits unlicensed providers to care for up to six children other than their own. Ask how many children attend together, who else lives or works in the home, and how the caregiver handles emergencies. Speak with references and request evidence of relevant first-aid training. [4]

Alberta distinguishes orders for exceeding child limits from orders involving an imminent threat to children. Its guidance says an over-capacity provider may continue care after reducing numbers, while an imminent-threat order prohibits continued care until the province rescinds it. Ask Childcare Connect to interpret any specific or ambiguous record; do not resolve conflicting entries yourself. [4]

For a sitter or nanny, agree on duties, hours, emergency contacts, transportation and payment in writing. Discuss a supervised introduction with your child and speak with references before leaving them together.

Budget for school-age and extended-hours care

Alberta’s Child Care Subsidy Program supports eligible families with children in full-time kindergarten through grade 6 attending qualifying care outside school hours. The income threshold is below $90,000, alongside other eligibility conditions. Subsidy amounts depend on income, grade, care setting and monthly attendance. Obtain the provider’s full fee before subtracting an expected subsidy. [3]

You can apply as early as the month before care starts. Subsidy cannot begin earlier than the start of the month Alberta receives your completed application. Secure a qualifying spot, gather the requested documents and leave room in your budget while the province assesses your application. [3]

Eligible subsidy recipients with children in full-time kindergarten through grade 6 can receive an additional $100 per child per month if they need at least four extended hours of care in a month and attend a licensed program approved to offer extended hours. Confirm the program’s hours and approval. Funded daycares and family day homes may charge optional supplemental fees for approved extended or overnight care. [2] [3]

Monthly parent fees for eligible children in funded childcare spaces

Choose the arrangement to investigate

Your hiring checklist

1. Record your child’s age, start date, attendance days and firm pickup deadline.
2. Confirm an opening and tour the actual care setting.
3. Review program, agency or operator records and ask about unclear entries.
4. Request written confirmation of child eligibility, space funding and an itemized fee.
5. Agree on allergies, medication, emergency contacts and authorized pickup people.
6. Confirm school transfers, closure dates and caregiver backup arrangements.
7. Read deposit, cancellation, withdrawal and late-pickup terms before paying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every licensed daycare charge $326.25 a month?

No. The $326.25 monthly fee requires an eligible child in a funded daycare or approved family day home space with 100 or more registered monthly hours. Eligibility covers children up to kindergarten age, including kindergarten children attending childcare during regular school hours. Confirm eligibility, funding and optional charges with the provider. [2]

How do I find an individual approved family day home?

Use Alberta’s Childcare Search to find a licensed agency serving your area, then contact it for individual homes. Give the agency your child’s age, schedule and preferred location, and ask to visit any proposed home. [1]

How should I interpret a stop-order listing?

Check the order type and contact Childcare Connect about the specific record. Alberta distinguishes over-capacity orders from imminent-threat orders, with different conditions for continued care. Ask the regulator to clarify ambiguous or conflicting information before making arrangements. [4]

Can I leave the recreation centre during child minding?

No. Edmonton requires you to remain inside the recreation facility and provide cell phone contact. Visits last up to two hours. Arrange other care for work or errands that require you to leave. [5]